Course Synopsis:

This course will investigate the nature slavery and the slave trades in Africa up to the19th century abolition. It will examine how slavery and African societies constituted and reconstituted each other; and how slavery and the slave trades thus impacted demographic, political, economic, social, and cultural change in different regions of Africa.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have learned to:

1. develop an understanding of the critical issues and topics that make up the study of slavery in Africa, their relationships to one another, and the scholarly perspectives on them.
2. appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of the available sources for the study of slavery and the slave trades in Africa.
3. conduct research requiring a capable engagement with primary source evidence
4. effectively communicate their research findings to relevant audience by writing and orally

Method of Evaluation and Weights:

Seminar presentation - 20%
Class participation - 10%
Project proposal - 20%
Written Project w/ primary sources - 50%

Texts Required:

•    Paul E. Lovejoy, Transformations in Slavery. A History of Slavery in Africa.  (Oxford University Press, 2010)

Please note: This is a preliminary website description only. The department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description. The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester.